Shoe heel, ornament, and protector therefor



20, 1929' P. ESPOSITO ET AL A 1,725,509

SHOE HEEL, ORNAMENT, AND PROTECTOR THEREFOR Filed Jan. 6, 1928 Inven/iors .PeZeW E6 06 2930. MMZasEQ-oOazJi/o.

atented Aug. 20, 1929.

UNETED STATES,

1,725,509 PATENT OFFICE.

PETER ESPOSITO AND NICHOLAS ESPOSITO, OI CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO GENNABRO ESPOSITO, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE HEEL, ORNAMENT, AND PROTECTOR THEBEFOB.

Application filed January 6, 1928. Serial Nd. 244,855.

Our invention relates to shoe heels, and more particularly aims to provide heels for ladies shoes having ornamented and protected lower portions.

In the drawings illustrating by way of example one embodiment of our invention;

Figs. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, are front, side and rear elevations of a heel for a ladys shoe constructed in accordance with one embodiment of our invention, the showing in Fig. 1 being with the facing or finishing layer omitted at the front face of the heel;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the heel with the lift removed; and Fig. 5 is a blank for the protective and ornamental device in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of our invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the ladys shoe heel shown for the purpose of illustration and indicated by the numeral 1 may be of any of the several types or styles, varying in height and clrcumference, and formed generally of wood, although a composition or other material may be employed. The heel illustrated 1s of medium height and girth, for use with which the means of our invention is particularly adapted although it is also applicable to ladys shoe heels of any proportion from the extremely high and smal cross-sectional heel of the spike type to the lower and broader -heels. In some instances the body of the heel is finished by polishing and enameling or the like and without the application of a special fabric or other covering, in which case a fabric, leather or other facing, such as herein indicated at 2 is generall applied to the front face or breast 3 of the eel.

In accordance with our invention we apply to a heel such as above described an ornamental surfacing means or a protective covering element, reinforce, or guard adapted for permanent positioning upon the shoe heel in the process of manufacture thereof or when renewed or repaired, said means or element located at the lower heel portion beginning substantially at its lower edge and extendlng upwardly therefrom. Said ornamentation or protecting means includes a main or body portion 4.- applied directly to or adapted to over-lie and fit closely againstthe rear and side faces of the heel.

upper or side edges slop downwardly and forwardly substantially in the manner illustrated, providing a convex or apex-like por tion 5 at its rear top and giving it an elevated and desirably approximately triangular appearance as viewed from the rear. While the construction is preferably such as to provide said maximum height at the rear, for the purpose of accentuating and apparently increasing the height and. slimness of the heel, the upper contour may be varied and may be more or less gradually downwardly and forwardly sloping, so that the tip or apex may vary as desired between a.

relatively sharp point and a comparatively flat or b unt dome-like elevation.

Said means for accentuating and apparently increasing the heel height and slimness may be directly applied to the heel or formed integrally therewith. Preferably, however, we employ an ornamental and protective device formed of a suitable, desirably thin and readily bendable, sheet material, generally a thin malleable metal, metal being employed particularly where the protective function is important. Where the shielding function is less important, non-metallic or other material may be employed, including fabric, cellulosic, leather or other bendable sheet material. The device may be provided at itsv rear and side portions with any desired ornamental configuratlon or design such as that indicated, solely by .way of example, at 6, and which may be ap lied inany desired manner, including em ossing, piercing, engraving, enamelling, ..or other rocess.

I At the opposite side-portions of the body of such sheet material device we provide extensions or cars 7, 7 which desirably are formed with their top and bottom edges in continuation of the adjacent portions of the body 4 and of approximately the full height thereof at the point of juncture. Said ears are turned over upon the front face of the heel in the manner clearly apparent in Fig. 1, and desirably are counter-sunk in a recess 8 provided thereat; see Fig. 2. Said securing portions or cars are rigidly afiixed to the front face of the heel in any suitable manner, as by nails, provisions for the reception of which are indicated at 9, 9, Figs. 1 and 5. The front facing or covering 2 when employed preferably is applied over the securing ears completely concealing them. In other instances the recess 8 may be omitted or, particularly where the entire heel is fabric-covered, the securing ears 7 7 may lie outside such cover. I

i In order additionally to hold the protective ornamental device immovably upon the shoe heel, securing and positioning means may be provided alon its lower-edge. For this purpose we have illustrated the serrated portlon 10, or series of teeth, arranged with the tooth 10 bases in the line of the lower edge of the shield body, said line desirably following an arc of relatively large radius, substantially as illustrated. In applying the device to the heel the teeth 10, when provided, are in-turned l5 flatwise against the bottom face 11 of the shoe heel. By reason of the interrupted or toothed formation of said lower attaching means 10 it is adapted to co-operate with heels of various cross-sectional area, the individual teeth or points spreading more or less as the case may be. Said adaptability of the device for use with heels of different sizes is additionally due to the flexibility of the sheet material, the arched contour of the lower 5 edge, and the formation of the ears 7 as continuations of the body of the device, permitting a greater or less extent of the ears to be bent over onto the breast of the heel as required. The ornament and protector being thus built onto the shoe heel and incorporated as a permanent part thereof, the heel may be finished by the application of the usual lift 12 of any suitable materialincluding leather, rubber or composition. The rear 3:; portion of the device may be additionally secured, as by one or more nails, one of which is indicated at 13, Fig. 3, and which may be so located with respect to the ornamentation, as shown, that the latter serves to obscure m the nails. If desired the sheet material device may be glued or cemented in position.

The upper rear body portion of the sheet material device desirably is of the convexed, tapering or generally pyramidal form previously described, whereby the ornamental protector lends an appearance of additional height and slimness to the heel, making possilile the use of an actually stronger and thicker heel while still permitting it to appear of the height and small cross-sectional extent desired in certain ty es and styles of heels. The device as described is thus a combined guard or shield and ornament, possessing in one elementjboth these functions but, as previously stated, one or the other of such functions may be emphasized according to the particular circumstances, the materia form and proportions of the device being correspondingly varied.

Our invention is not limited to the particular embodiment thereof herein illustrated and described, its scope being set' forth in the following claims:

1. In a shoe heel, in combination with the 35 heel body, means for increasing the apparent height and the apparent slimness of the heel, inc uding surfacing material applied to the material contrasting in color with that of the heel and'having its .minimum height at its side portions, the latter merging upwardly and inwardl into an elevated portion symmetrical wit respect to the rear vertical median region of the heel and terminating below the heel top.

2. In combination with a heel for a ladys shoe; a pliable metallic plate-like member fitted to the lower rear and side portions of said heel, said member having at its forward vertical edges securing extensions of substantially equal heights therewith; a transverse recess in the front face of the heel, said securing extensions being bent into and fixed in said recess from the opposite ends thereof; a facing layer applied to said heel front face over said extensions; and additional positioning and securing means for said member extendin inwardly circumferentially of the bottom ace of the heel, between the latter and the heel lift.

8. An ornamental and protective device for a ladys shoe heel comprising a pliable metallic plate-like member ada ted to be fitted about the lower portion of t e heel and having means for attachment to the heel front and bottom faces, the section of said member at the rear of the heel having an approximately triangular upper portion symmetrically" disposed, with its apex in the rear vertical median line of the heel, and constructed and arranged to produce the optical effect of greater than actual height and slimness for theheel.

4. A combination guard and ornament for permanent attachment over lower surfaces of a shoe heel, comprisin a thin, pliable metallic covering formed rom a flat blank and including a main portion for positioning at the rear and sides of the heel, to extend upwardly from the lower edge thereof, a securing ear at each side edge of said main portion adapted to be bent over flatwise onto and secured against the front face of the heel, and a serrated securing element along the lower edge of said main portion and adapted to extend inwardly around and flatwise against the bottom face of the heel between the latter and the lift said serrated formation of said element enabling it to assume various curvatures as a whole whereby it and said pliable main portion are readily conformable and adjustable to heels of different cross-sectional area.

5. In combination with'a shoe heel, a pliable metallic sheet member adapted to be fitted to the lower rear and side portions of the heel, said member being of maximum height at the rear central region of the heel and having its upper edge oppositely and symmetrically sloped downwardly therelower rear and side faces of the heel, said from, the lateral terminal portions of said member comprising adjustable securing ears whose upper edges are in continuation of that of said member asa whole, whereby greater or less lengths of said terminal portions may be bent over onto the front face of the heel as the varyin circumferences of difierent heels may requlre, any remainder of said terminal portions to the rear of their bent-over portions merging into and forming harmonious parts of said member as a whole.

6. In combination with a shoe heel, a pliable metallic sheet member adapted to be fitted to the lower rear and side portions of the heel, said member being of maximum height at the rear central region of the heel and having its upper edge oppositely and symmetrically sloped downwardly therefrom, the lateral terminal ortions 7, 7 of said member comprising a justable securing ears whose upper edges are in continuation of that of said member as a whole, whereby greater or less lengths of said terminal portions may be bent over onto thefront face of the heel as the varying circumferences of different heels may require, any remainder of said terminal portions to the rear of their bent-over portions merging into and forming harmonious parts of said member as a whole, and other adjustable securing means 10 along the lower edge of said member, for engagement against the heel bottom face, whereby said member as a whole is rendered adjustable to heels of different cross-sectional areas, its said lateral terminal portions 7, 7 and said lower edge securing means 10 cooperating to prevent both lateral and vertical displacement of the numbgr While permitting said adj ustability there- 0 In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

PETER ESPOSITO. NICHOLAS ESPOSITO. 

